Hoisting truck with screw actuated scissors-type raising means and hammock support means



w. c. OLSEN 3,279,752 HOISTING TRUCK WITH SCREW ACTUATED SCISSORS TYPE RAISING Oct. 18, 1966 MEANS AND HAMMOCK SUPPORT MEANS F iled Nov. 25, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 18, 1966 w. c. OLSEN 3,279,752

HOISTING TRUCK WITH SCREW ACTUATED SCISSORS TYPE RAISING MEANS AND HAMMOCK SUPPORT MEANS Filed Nov. 25, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 18, 1966 w. c. OLSEN 3,279,752

HOISTING TRUCK WITH SCREW ACTUATED SCISSORS TYPE RAISING MEANS AND HAMMOCK SUPPORT MEANS Filed Nov. 25, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 nvmvrom- MAL/f 6 0455 Oct. 18, 1966 w. c. OLSEN 3,279,752 HOISTING TRUCK WITH SCREW ACTUATED scxssoas TYPE RAISING MEANS AND HAMMOCK SUPPORT MEANS Filed NOV. 25, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Imnnnauuuuuuuuu wm/mle: MAL/E C OLSEN United States Patent 3,279,752 HOISTING TRUCK WITH SCREW ACTUATED SCISSORS-TYPE RAISING MEANS AND HAMMOCK SUPPORT MEANS Willie C. Olsen, Wakonda, S. Dak. Filed Nov. 25, 1964, Ser. No. 413,908 6 Claims. (Cl. 254-7) This invention pertains to portable devices for lifting and carrying heavy parts of machines and more particularly to a device for lifting automobile or tractor parts from a position beneath such parts and moving them about.

Automobile parts such as transmission, differentials, engines and the like are often far too heavy to be lifted without mechanical assistance. Also, it is frequently impossible to lift these parts from above by a hoist or the like. Therefore, it ha become fairly common to use a lifting jack to raise or lower such par-ts and to carry them from beneath the car to a work area or vice versa.

Generally such jacks had either a fixed steel tray or some specially formed jig to hold the part. The steel trays were not adequate to carry the part in proper position, and the tilting or rolling of the part in the tray made such devices most clumsy to handle. The devices having jigs were excellent for such parts as they were designed to hold, but were practically restricted to only such parts.

By my invention I provide a jack which has nearly universal application to all such parts with no great change required to be adaptable to carry a multiplicity of devices; to raise and lower them and to be completely portable.

A more complete understanding of my invention in its embodiment will be apparent from a study of the following specification and the figures in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of my jack mounted on its dolly,

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the carrier head of my device removed from the jack,

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the jack, and its appurtenant parts showing a pillar extension,

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the jack alone, part of it being broken away to show the underlying parts, and

FIG. 5 is a top plan view to a reduced scale showing an alternate arrangement of the carrier.

Briefly my invention comprises a lifting and carrying head for a jack and dolly combination, which head is designed to embrace heavy parts of motor vehicles or the like to lift and carry such par-ts conveniently.

More particularly and referring to the figures, my in vention includes a dolly having a frame mounted on four casters 11 and moved and guided through a handle 13. This structure is not uncommon in the art.

Mounted on the frame 10 is a scissors jack 15 which is somewhat different from other jacks in that the screw 16 (FIG. 4) is completely enclosed in a square tubular housing 17. Between the arms 18 of the jack I provide a smaller tubular housing 19 which telescopes into the housing 17 to provide a completely dust and grime free screw housing. The screw 16 is turned by a wheel 20. Movement of the wheel in a direction to lower the jack is prevented by engagement between one of the spokes 21 and a bar 22 releasably carried in a clip 23 fixed to the housing 17. The bar 22 is also designed to be used as a lever to provide added torque for raising the jack if necessary.

3,279,752 Patented Oct. 18, 1966 In order to provide for the scissors action of the jack it is necessary that the arms 18 from opposite sides be pulled together to raise the jack or separated to lower it. In my device this is accomplished by forcing motion of the square tubes. The larger tube 17 is fixed to the pivot between the set of arms 18 on one side and the smaller tube is similarly fixed to the pivot between the arms 18 on the other side. A block 24 having internal threads is welded to the smaller tube. The screw 16 is threaded into this block. It will now be apparent that turning the screw in one direction will pull the smaller tube into the larger one. This is true since the wheel 20, or a suitable thrust bearing, prevents inward motion of the screw relative to the larger tube. By the same means, a reversal of direction of the screw 20 would cause counter movement between the two tubes. Thus, by movement of the tubes I accomplish the same action as others have previously done with an exposed screw extending beyond the jack arms 18.

The top plate 25 of the jack, as best shown in FIG. 3 is formed to provide a socket 26 into which a stud 27 on the base of my carrier may be inserted. Alternatively, if the device to be lifted will be located at some distance above the ground, a pillar extension 28 (FIG. 3) may be inserted between the plate 25 and the carrier. This extension Will also have a stud 30 on its lower end to fit into the socket 26 and a socket 31 formed in its upper end to receive the stud 27. Wide plates 32 at both ends serve to steady the entire device to avoid tipping.

It will be apparent that regardless of the use or non-use of the extension, the stud 27 will be rotatable in the socket 26 so that the carrier can be rotated to any position relative to the jack. The carrier comprises a built up base 35 together with supported hangers adapted to hold the object being lifted. The base 35 is formed of an upper plate 36 and a lower plate 37 separated by a series of spaced square tubes 38. The tubes may be welded to the plates to form a solid sandwich-like structure. Preferably the tubes are spaced apart a distance somewhat less than or about equal to the distance across the tube. This structure provides a very stiff and strong base of comparatively light weight. It also provides convenient means for supporting the hangers as will later appear. My preferred embodiment also has a square tube 40 welded to the bottom plate 37 at each end thereof. These tubes provide additional stiffness and also have other advantages which will be made apparent hereinafter.

The hangers for the .piece to be lifted are composed of hammocks or loops 42 of belting or the like supported from the base 35 by unique supporting means. This supporting means includes a pair of support brackets 43 for each hammock. These brackets are formed of a square tang 44 carrying an olfset head 45 (FIG. 2). The tang is of such size that it will smoothly slide into the center opening of the square tubes 38 and still prevent substantial rotating of the tang within the tube. It should be noted that these tangs can be inserted into any of the tubes, thus allowing for adjustments to better cradle the piece to be carried and also that the depth to which the tang is inserted may be varied thus allowing a lateral adjustment also.

Upright studs 46 are mounted on the heads 45. These studs are offset from the tangs 44 just half the distance between adjacent square tubes 38 of the base 35. It will be evident from FIG. 2 that for each pair carrying a single hammock, the offset is in the same direction so that upon insertion of the respective tangs into the tubes from opposite side, the studs will be exactly opposite each other across the base. However, for the two ditferent hammocks, the offsets may be opposite if desired.

Threaded onto the stud 46 is a base block 48 which may be provided with ears or handles 49 so that they can 'be adjustably screwed up or down on the studs 46. The blocks 48 are large enough to form .a solid base for hollow columns or posts 50 which fit over the upwardlyextending portion of the studs 46.

The columns 50 provide the support for the hammocks 42. The hammocks are formed of heavy fabric webbing or leather belting or similar flexible material. End plates 52 may be rivetted to the flexible material to provide an anchor by which the end can be supported. A loop 53 on the end plate 52 is linked to a loose link 54 which will surround the post 50. This link is adapted by its size to fit the post somewhat closely so that a weight resting on the hammock 42 will cause the link to bind against the post and not slip downward. Thus it will be readily possible for the hammocks to be removed, and still the hammocks, once placed are fully supported.

The operation of my device will now be seen to be comparatively simple. The device can be positioned under the part to be carried, by rolling the assembly on its casters 11 under the automobile or the like. The carrier assembly can then be raised under the part to be moved by use of the jack 15 which has been set up to use the extension 28 if necessary. As the device is raised, the upper assembly can be positioned by rotating the top plate 25 and its associated parts. The width between the posts 50 can also be adjusted by sliding the tangs 44 into or out of the tubes 38 in the bottom plate. A further adjustment is possible in that the height of the posts 50 above the plate 25 can be adjusted by moving the base blocks 48 up or down on the studs 46.

When the entire device is adjusted, the hammocks are brought up under the piece to be moved which can then be detached from its surrounding parts. The jack is then lowered and the piece may be wheeled away to be worked on. Replacement of the piece will require only that the jack be wheeled into place and the piece be raised into place and fastened there.

Several refinements of my device are contemplated. For example: in the event that the piece may have to be moved some distance or will be resting on my jack for any considerable length of time, it may be desirable to provide some means to hold it in place on the hammocks. I can provide such means quite easily as best illustrated in FIG. 2. An upright bracket composed of a column 56 having a hooked member 57 at its base and a vane 58 extending outward at a point above the base is adapted to slide over the end of the base 38. The hooked member engages the tube 40 and together with the vane, prevents movement of the bracket in any direction except longitudinally of the tube 40. At its upper end, the bracket is formed with a hole through which a threaded hook 60 projects. A clamp 61 having a threaded clamp member 60 is connected to the hook 60 by a chain 63 which can be releasably hooked onto the hook 60.

In use, the clamp is afiixed to some portion of the piece being carried by the jack. Preferably this part is somewhere remote from the column 56. The chain is then carried over the part in the hammock and is attached to the hook 60. The not 64 on the hook may then be tightened to fix the hook in the chain and prevent it from coming loose. Thus the chain will hold the piece more firmly in place on-the hammocks. It should be noted here, however, that because of the flexibility in the hammocks, the piece lying on them will already be well cradled and is not apt to roll anywhere.

A further refinement of my device is shown in FIG. where I provide a device particularly adapted to support a work piece having intersecting shafts or the like. A

good illustration of such a piece might be a diflerential from a car or truck, but other similar devices could also be handled.

In this device, I provide the same structure as has been previously described. This includes the brackets 43 carrying the posts 50 which in turn support the hammocks 42. In addition I provide a third set of brackets 43 which may have somewhat longer tang 44 and a similar head to the original bracket. It will be apparent that it may also be possible to use my original brackets without alteration. The tangs 44' are inserted into the lower tubes 40, both on the same side of the base 35, and a hammock 42' is draped between them. The details of construction of the hammock and its supports are the same as for the similar parts of the mechanism previously described so it is not described in detail here. It will be apparent that the device now has one hammock substantially at right angles to the other two, and that this one hammock will support a shaft which lies in a position to intersect the other shaft.

Having thus described my invention in its embodiment, I am aware that further and extensive variations may be made therefrom without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as limited only by the following claims.

I claim:

1. Carrier means adapted to be mounted on a lifting means comprising a base, said base being composed of two plates fixed to a plurality of laterally extending, noncircular tubes lying between said plates, a plurality of brackets, said brackets having tangs of shape complementary to the interior of said tubes, said tangs being disposed within said tubes whereby said brackets are adjustably mounted in pairs in said base and are prevented from rotating in said tubes, ofliset heads on said brackets, uprights mounted on said offset heads whereby said brackets may be mounted in adjacent tubes and said up rights on any given pair will be opposite each other, and flexible hammock means extending between each pair whereby an irregular shaped work piece can be readily cradled in said hammock.

2. For use on a jack having a head formed to provide a socket therein, carrier means comprising a base having an upper plate and a lower plate, noncircular tubes fixed between said plates to hold them in spaced relation to each other, stud means on said .lower plate adapted to be engaged in said socket whereby said carrier is rotatably mounted on said jack, a plurality of bracket means having tangs of complementary shape to the inner surfaces of said tubes, said tangs being slidably engaged in said tubes, offset heads on said bracket means being disposed on said base in pairs, upright means on said head means so placed that when said bracket means are mounted in adjacent tubes in said base said upright means on any one head will be directly opposite the upright on its paired bracket, and flexible hammock means engaged between said upright means on each pair of said brackets to support and hold a workpiece.

3. The device of claim 1 in which additional noncircu-lar, laterally extending tubes are aflixed to the ends of said base, additional brackets engaged in the said additional tubes, uprights on said additional brackets and a flexible hammock means mounted on said last named upright means whereby said last named hammock is at substantially a right angle to said first named hammocks.

4. The device of claim 1 in which at least one additional tube is affixed to the base at one end thereof, upright bracket means adapted to engage said base and said tube being thereby held on said base, and chain means having a clamp at one end thereof, said chain means being re'leasably attached to said upright bracket means thereby be chained to said base.

5. The device of claim 1 in which said upright means are vertically adjustable to provide for adjustment of the vertical position of said hammock means.

6. A jack comprising a base and a top plate, arms pivotally connected between said base and top plate in the form of a scissors jack, said arms having opposing pairs, pivot mean between each of said opposing pairs, larger tubular means fixed to one of said pivot means, smaller tubular means slidably te'lescoped within said larger tubular means and also fixed to an opposing pivot means, block means having an internal thread, said block means being fixed to said smaller tubular means, screw means within said larger tubular means and threadably engaged with said block means and turning means fixed to said screw means and abutting said larger tubular means whereby turning of said screw means will pull said smaller tubular means into said larger tubular means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Merriman 254-126 Kuhlman 254-2 X Lewis 254-2 Marsh 254-10 Weaver 214-1 Pentecost 254-424 Shaw.

Gibney 74424.8 X Angsten 74424.8

France.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

MILTON S. MEHR, Examiner. 

1. CARRIER MEANS ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED ON A LIFTING MEANS COMPRISING A BASE, SAID BASE BEING COMPOSED OF TWO PLATES FIXED TO A PLURALITY OF LATERALLY EXTENDING, NONCIRCULAR TUBES LYING BETWEEN SAID PLATES, A PLURALITY OF BRACKETS, SAID BRACKETS HAVING TANGS OF SHAPE COMPLEMENTARY TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID TUBES, SAID TANGS BEING DISPOSED WITHIN SAID TUBES WHEREBY SAID BRACKETS ARE ADJUSTABLY MOUNTED IN PAIRS IN SAID BASE AND ARE PREVENTED FROM ROTATING IN SAID TUBES, OFFSET HEADS ON SAID BRACKETS, UPRIGHTS MOUNTED ON SAID OFFSET HEADS WHEREBY SAID 